Tirapheg
Medium-Size Aberration
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft
AC: 10
Attacks: 2 spikes +4 melee, claw -1 melee
Damage: 2 spikes 1d4+3, claw 1d4+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict 1d4+3, illusions
Special Qualities: All-around vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +5, Jump +8, Listen +5, Search +8, Spot +9
Climate/Terrain: Any mountains and marsh
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Medium-size); 5-6 HD (Large)
The tirapheg may well be one of the strangest known aberrations in existence. Its humanoid shape stands about 7 feet tall, is naked, and hairless. The tirapheg has three heads; the outer two being featureless. The central head has three large, inset eyes, two on the front of the head (above the nose) and one to the rear. Small ears flank each side of the central head. The tirapheg has no mouth.
Three arms protrude from the tirapheg’s body; two at the shoulders and one from the central chest. The two arms at the shoulder are jointed so as to move both forwards and backwards. They are prehensile and end in a 6-inch long spike rather than hands. The third arm (the chest arm) ends in a three-fingered hand. The tirapheg’s lower torso ends in three legs; the outer two ending in stumps and the central leg ending in a single foot with three long toes.
Below the tirapheg’s third arm, situated in the middle of its torso, is the creature’s mouth. Three small tentacles writhe constantly above the mouth.
COMBAT
Normally the tirapheg avoids encounters, but these unpredictable creatures have been known to attack living creatures for reasons known only to the tirapheg.
A tirapheg that successfully hits an opponent with its central arm usually maintains the hold until it or its opponent is dead. If cornered or if melee is going against it, the tirapheg uses its illusion ability to deceive its attackers.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the tirapheg must hit an opponent of up to Medium-size with both of its spikes. If it gets a hold, it uses its central arm to strangle the opponent.
Constrict (Ex): A tirapheg deals 1d4+3 points of damage with a successful grapple check against Medium-size or smaller creatures. Because it seizes victims by the neck, a creature in the tirapheg’s grasp cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
Illusions (Su): A tirapheg can project two illusionary replicas of itself which it controls telepathically. These illusions fight as the original creature and take no damage themselves, though they deal damage to opponents if they are not recognized for what they are (this works like the silent image spell in all other respects, except that the illusions disappear only when the creature is killed or when its opponents retreat out of sight).
At the instant the illusions are created by the creature, it has the ability to generate a split-second blinding flash of light to cover the appearance of the illusions, which causes all creatures and persons within a 30 range to stand as if affected by a confusion spell for one melee round (no save to avoid). The tirapheg and its illusions attack in the melee round in which the illusions are created.
All-around Vision (Ex): The tirapheg’s three eyes allow it to see things in front of it as well as behind it, bestowing a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks. Tirapheg’s can’t be flanked.
The tirapheg first appeared in the 1st edition Fiend Folio (1981)
